Rian Johnson’s new KNIVES OUT is much broader and goofier than the writer-director’s first foray into a murder-mystery genre, 2005’s BRICK, but as with his feature debut, Johnson acknowledges the audience’s expectations for the genre and then subverts them in order to create an outsized world for his characters to play in. After digging into why that approach works to such crowd-pleasing effect in KNIVES OUT, we bring in BRICK to talk about what the two films share, and where they diverge, in their respective deconstructions of murder-mystery tropes and archetypes. Plus, Your Next Picture Show, where we share recent filmgoing experiences in hopes of putting something new on your cinematic radar.

Please share your comments, thoughts, and questions about BRICK, KNIVES OUT, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.

Your Next Picture Show:

• Genevieve: Sergio Pablos and Carlos Martinez Lopez’s KLAUS

• Scott: Scott Z. Burns’ THE REPORT

• Tasha: Tom Harper’s THE AERONAUTS

• Keith: Stuart Cooper’s OVERLORD

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